[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 7283-7288]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         HELPING HEROES FLY ACT

  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 1344) to amend title 49, United States Code, to 
direct the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Transportation 
Security Administration) to provide expedited air passenger screening 
to severely injured or disabled members of the Armed Forces and 
severely injured or disabled veterans, and for other purposes, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1344

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Helping Heroes Fly Act''.

     SEC. 2. OPERATIONS CENTER PROGRAM FOR SEVERELY INJURED OR 
                   DISABLED MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AND 
                   SEVERELY INJURED OR DISABLED VETERANS.

       (a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 449 of title 49, 
     United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new section:

     ``Sec. 44927. Expedited screening for severely injured or 
       disabled members of the Armed Forces and severely injured 
       or disabled veterans

       ``(a) Passenger Screening.--The Assistant Secretary, in 
     consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs, and organizations that advocate on behalf 
     of members of the Armed Forces and veterans, including 
     organizations that advocate on behalf of severely injured or 
     disabled members of the Armed Forces and severely injured or 
     disabled veterans, shall develop and implement a process to 
     facilitate the ease of travel and to the extent possible 
     provide expedited passenger screening services for severely 
     injured or disabled members of the Armed Forces, severely 
     injured or disabled veterans, and their accompanying family 
     members or nonmedical attendants. Such process shall be 
     designed to protect the privacy of the individual being 
     screened to the maximum extent practicable.
       ``(b) Operations Center.--As part of the process required 
     under subsection (a), the Assistant Secretary shall maintain 
     an operations center to provide support and facilitate the 
     movement of severely injured or disabled members of the Armed 
     Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans through 
     screening prior to boarding a passenger aircraft operated by 
     an air carrier or foreign air carrier in air transportation 
     or intrastate air transportation. Such operations center 
     shall be operational at all times.
       ``(c) Protocols.--The Assistant Secretary shall--
       ``(1) establish and publish protocols, in consultation with 
     the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 
     and organizations that advocate on behalf of members of the 
     Armed Forces and veterans, including organizations that 
     advocate on behalf of severely injured or disabled members of 
     the Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans, 
     under which a severely injured or disabled member of the 
     Armed Forces or severely injured or disabled veteran, or the 
     family member or other representative of such a member or 
     veteran, may contact the operations center maintained under 
     subsection (b) and request expedited screening services 
     described in subsection (a) for the member or veteran; and
       ``(2) upon receipt of such a request, require such 
     operations center to notify the appropriate Federal security 
     director of the request to facilitate the expedited passenger 
     screening services described in subsection (a) for the member 
     or veteran.
       ``(d) Training.--The Assistant Secretary shall integrate 
     training on the protocols established under subsection (c) 
     into the training provided to all employees who will provide 
     the screening services described in subsection (a).
       ``(e) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section 
     affects the authority of the Assistant Secretary to require 
     additional screening of a severely injured or disabled member 
     of the Armed Forces, a severely injured or disabled veteran, 
     or their accompanying family members or nonmedical 
     attendants, if intelligence, law enforcement, or other 
     information indicates that additional screening is necessary.
       ``(f) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of 
     the enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the 
     Assistant Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the 
     implementation of this section. Each such report shall 
     include each of the following:
       ``(1) Information on the training provided under subsection 
     (d).
       ``(2) Information on the consultations between the 
     Assistant Secretary and organizations that advocate on behalf 
     of members of the Armed Forces and veterans as described in 
     subsection (a).
       ``(3) The number of people who accessed the operations 
     center during the period covered by the report.
       ``(4) Such other information as the Assistant Secretary 
     determines is appropriate.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
     item relating to section 44926 the following new item:

``44927. Expedited screening for severely injured or disabled members 
              of the Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled 
              veterans.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from

[[Page 7284]]

Indiana (Mrs. Brooks) and the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Gabbard) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Indiana.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include any extraneous material on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Indiana?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  As a member of the Committee on Homeland Security's Transportation 
Security Subcommittee, I am proud to be a cosponsor of this commonsense 
piece of legislation that will increase accessibility and privacy for 
our wounded warriors at airport checkpoints.

                              {time}  1320

  This legislation directs TSA to develop and implement a process to 
facilitate the ease of travel and, to the extent possible, provide 
expedited screening through our Nation's airports for severely injured 
or disabled members of our Armed Forces and veterans. The last thing 
our heroes need is to face unnecessary scrutiny or hassle, or be forced 
to answer endless questions about their conditions, when all they want 
to do is board a plane to fly home to their loved ones or maybe to a 
job interview.
  This bill would ensure that our wounded warriors--those dedicated men 
and women who have been severely injured while fighting to protect our 
Nation--are treated with the highest dignity and respect when traveling 
through our Nation's airports.
  I was pleased to find out that shortly after Administrator Pistole 
testified before the Transportation Security Subcommittee on TSA's 
efforts to advance risk-based security, TSA began to offer expedited 
screening services to severely injured members of the Armed Forces and 
veterans, provided they contact the TSA in advance of traveling. While 
I support TSA's newly adopted protocols, I feel this bill is necessary 
because it codifies current TSA policy and ensures that it will remain 
intact during future administrations.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill not only benefits severely injured and 
disabled members of the United States Armed Forces, veterans, and their 
accompanying families, but it also supports the TSA administrator's 
intent to develop a more risk-based method of screening for all 
passengers.
  Expedited travel for our military heroes is an important step toward 
reasonable transportation security reforms that will allow us to focus 
precious taxpayer dollars on the unknown travelers and the real 
threats.
  As we look forward to this upcoming Memorial Day, let us honor the 
all-too-often painful sacrifices our wounded warriors have made for our 
Nation by adopting this important and commonsense piece of legislation.
  I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of 1344, the 
Helping Heroes Fly Act, and yield myself such time as I may consume.
  In response to documented grievances my fellow servicemembers made 
because of various challenges and trying experiences that they went 
through at airport checkpoints across the country, I introduced the 
Helping Heroes Fly Act to ensure that the Transportation Security 
Administration--working alongside veterans advocacy organizations--
develop sensible screening policies that honor and respect the service 
and sacrifice of our Nation's injured and disabled heroes.
  On March 27 of this year, just a few days after this legislation was 
introduced, the Transportation Security Administration made an 
announcement of some improvements that they have made in this area as 
they took steps to expedite airport screening for severely injured 
members of our Armed Forces. With these changes, individuals can 
presently request assistance ahead of time and move through security 
checkpoints without having to remove their shoes, light outerwear, 
jackets, or hats. Taking off a jacket--while maybe a simple 
inconvenience for you and I--can be a very physically challenging task 
for someone who, for example, has lost the use of an arm.
  While this announcement was a good step, it didn't go nearly far 
enough, as there are still more improvements that need to be made. As 
I've spoken with wounded warriors and listened to their experiences, 
I've heard stories that have been varied and included things like 
having to take off a prosthetic leg, putting the leg through the X-ray 
machine, and then having to balance on one leg going through the full 
body scan without help from anyone.
  This is unacceptable. Severely injured and disabled Active Duty and 
veterans both experience widely varied screening protocols among 
different airports, and even among screeners in the same airport. This 
makes it very hard for a wounded warrior to anticipate and prepare what 
will be required of them, to make sure that they are ready physically 
and mentally. Again, this may not seem like much to us, but to 
someone--a trained and hardened warrior--learning to adjust to these 
severe injuries, it can sometimes be difficult and can be the 
difference between a smooth and dignified screening experience or one 
that is filled with frustration, shame, and pain for the injured 
servicemember and delays for all people waiting in that screening line.
  Another issue that frequently has come up has been privacy. Veterans 
have shared with me their own experiences of having to take off 
prosthetics, despite TSA guidance that it's not necessary. And in the 
instances where extra screening of these prosthetics is necessary, it 
has been done in public view, even when clothing needs to be removed.
  No one--no one--should be required to remove their shirt or pants in 
public, nor should scans of sensitive or private areas be viewed by 
other airline passengers. Again, this has been already a humiliating, 
shameful experience for some veterans when there's absolutely no 
requirement or necessity for it.
  The Disabled American Veterans have spoken in strong support of this 
legislation stating:

       At some airports, our amputee members receive relaxed 
     screening, while at others these screenings are horrific. 
     Perhaps it is TSA's purpose to make screenings unpredictable. 
     Some screenings have required these amputees to expose their 
     prostheses when they lack the ability to reposition their 
     clothing, and TSA agents are not allowed to help them, nor do 
     they allow spouses or traveling companions to enter search 
     areas to assist the amputees.

  Our objective with this legislation is to ensure consistent treatment 
by screeners, greater attention to privacy concerns, and consulting 
with these advocacy organizations who speak for our wounded warriors to 
ensure they have a voice in the process.
  This bill before us today, the Helping Heroes Fly Act, achieves these 
improvements by requiring TSA to take into account the privacy of the 
individual being screened. It also mandates training of screening 
officers on the expedited protocols to make sure that no matter where 
you travel, no matter what city you are in, you will have consistent 
screening procedures so you know what to expect. TSA is also required 
to consult with these advocacy organizations to make sure that as these 
changes are implemented, that the unique needs of our wounded warriors 
are implemented to the best of its ability.
  To ensure these changes over the long term, this legislation requires 
regular reporting to Congress, as well as maintenance of the TSA's 
operations center that these wounded warriors and veterans can contact 
for assistance as they prepare to travel.
  Mr. Speaker, as you well know, members of our U.S. Armed Forces are 
entrusted to protect the security of our country with their lives. By 
definition, these individuals pose very little risk

[[Page 7285]]

to aviation security and should be consistently screened in a manner 
befitting and honoring their service and sacrifice.
  I urge my colleagues to ensure our Nation's wounded warriors are 
treated respectfully, and urge them to vote ``yes'' in support of H.R. 
1344.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins).
  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. I appreciate you yielding on this. And I 
appreciate not only the gentlewoman from Indiana, but the gentlewoman 
from Hawaii for bringing this legislation.
  I bring a little bit different perspective to this. As a chaplain in 
the military and working with our heroes who have been wounded and 
coming from bodies that were strong and healthy and vibrant to a 
situation in which now they're put in a position that they've never 
been in, in some ways a dependency, and counseling in those roles and 
seeing them having to go through this process, which is inconsistent 
and frankly unfair, I think this is the reason I strongly support this 
legislation.
  But I also support it from a different perspective. Having a daughter 
who has been in a wheelchair since she was able to walk--as we call it, 
``roll''--she's never known anything different. And so we've had to 
adjust over time, and she's adjusted in ways of going through 
screenings and going through processes like that.
  But when you balance what our wounded warriors have done, heroes who 
came home who had healthy bodies and now have bodies that are not 
healthy, this is something that will provide them a measure of 
dignity--and it is an honor to stand here and support this 
legislation--because I believe that an inconsistency in this area is an 
inconsistency in what we believe as Americans in what those men and 
women have done for us.
  We have to remember that in times of war now it is not like it used 
to be where these men and women would actually have died on the 
battlefield. Now they're coming home. They're coming home to lead 
productive lives, great lives, because of the sacrifices that they have 
made. It is time that we--and this legislation proves this--stand for 
them in the fairness that they deserve for what they have given to us.
  I congratulate the gentlewoman from Hawaii and also the gentlewoman 
from Indiana for sponsoring this. I look forward to voting for it, and 
encourage my colleagues to do so.

                              {time}  1330

  Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the 
ranking member of the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security of 
the Committee on Homeland Security, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. 
Jackson Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased to be able to come to 
the floor today as we approach the week that we memorialize those 
fallen heroes and as well, at the same time, acknowledge those who yet 
live who have served and who are wounded. Even today, as we stand on 
the floor in the backdrop of enormous tragedies among our civilian 
population in Oklahoma over the last couple of days and in Texas and 
elsewhere, this is a very important legislative initiative.
  As the former ranking member and chair of the Subcommittee on 
Transportation Security and as a cosponsor, I rise in strong support of 
H.R. 1344, the Helping Heroes Fly Act of 2013.
  I congratulate my new colleague for this outstanding legislation, Ms. 
Gabbard from Hawaii; and to the manager, thank you very much. It is 
important, and I am glad we are standing here together in a bipartisan 
manner.
  I support this legislation because it eases and facilitates the 
expedited passenger screening at airports for servicemembers who are 
severely injured or disabled, along with their families. Of course, the 
thoughtfulness in introducing this legislation is appreciated because 
it is necessary legislation. I thank you for indicating that, even as 
the TSA, of which we have oversight, is formulating policies, it's good 
to codify it, to make it law, because these heroes deserve their law.
  The Helping Heroes Fly Act requires the Transportation Security 
Administration to maintain an operations center to provide support and 
to facilitate the movement of these disabled servicemembers and 
veterans, and it requires the TSA to publish protocol so disabled 
servicemembers and veterans and their families will be able to contact 
the operations center and request expedited screening. The bill also 
requires that these protocols be integrated into the training of TSA 
agents.
  Now, I know that there are many home ports, if you will, for our 
returning heroes. I happen to know that Texas has had a very large 
number of our men and women go to Iraq and Afghanistan and to places 
beyond. I've been to Hawaii and know the transition there of many who 
are on R&R, coming from places around the world, and I know that it is 
a place where many come home because it was their home, and, yes, they 
come home disabled, with prostheses and other wounds, that require 
their privacy. I am glad that this bill acknowledges, not only that 
they are heroes, but that they are desirous and deserving of the 
respect--why don't I say an admiration and commendation and respect 
again--of those who would expedite their going into a secured area.
  Mr. Speaker, more than 2.2 million veterans--one in 10--have been 
disabled or seriously wounded in the service of our Nation; and 
disabled veterans typically find it much harder, by some estimates 
twice as hard, to readjust to civilian life. The least we can do for 
these heroes is to make it a little less burdensome and difficult to 
navigate the obstacles, barriers, and checkpoints that have been 
erected in the aftermath of 9/11 to enhance the security of air 
travel--and rightly so.
  Most of these inconveniences are necessary but are no less burdensome 
to those who have suffered physical disabilities in defending the 
Nation from those who would make air travel dangerous and deadly. Let's 
give them respect for what they have done to secure the homeland and to 
make us safer. The legislation before us strikes an appropriate balance 
between these competing interests.
  I have seen the operation of TSA and TSO officers and some of what 
they call these ``specialty officers.'' Allow me to thank you publicly 
for the work you have already done and for the sensitivity you've had.
  I've seen these soldiers, these heroes, coming home at DCA and at 
Dulles. I've certainly seen them in the airports in Texas. I've seen 
them in their uniforms. I've seen them, as I said, disabled, and I've 
seen them with families. I saw one young man who was wandering in my 
airport. He was, obviously, in uniform, but had not a good day. I don't 
know what might have been impacting him, but we stopped, and I hailed 
an officer in uniform, a TSO officer, and said, You won't be alone now. 
We're going to find out where you need to go.
  One of the factors of this particular legislative initiative that is 
good is that, wherever you land, sometimes it may not be your home 
airport--every airport is different--and I think they work themselves 
up to make sure that they make it exciting and confusing.
  Thank you for the Helping Heroes Fly Act to help improve airport 
security screening processes for wounded and severely disabled 
servicemembers, but also thank you for giving them a helping hand. You 
are helping the veterans as well. This authorizes a Wounded Warrior 
Screening program and requires the TSA to maintain an operations 
center. These improvements will facilitate and expedite air travel for 
our disabled veterans and servicemembers. More importantly, they will 
help our Nation's heroes to be shown the respect, as I said earlier, 
and the appreciation of a Nation that is so grateful.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this legislation, and I urge all of 
my colleagues to join me in voting for the Helping Heroes Fly Act of 
2013. I am glad to be back in the well again in this week of honoring 
our soldiers and those who have fallen, and I am delighted for the 
leadership of my colleague on the Homeland Security Committee and of 
the manager on this

[[Page 7286]]

great bill, and I hope that we have a very strong vote.
  Mr. Speaker, as a member and former chair of the Homeland Security 
Subcommittee on Transportation Security, and a cosponsor, I rise in 
strong support of H.R. 1344, the ``Helping Heroes Fly Act of 2013.'' I 
support this legislation because it eases and facilitates expedited 
passenger screening at airports for service members who are severely 
injured or disabled, along with their families. I thank my colleague, 
Congresswoman Gabbard of Hawaii, for introducing this thoughtful and 
necessary legislation.
  The Helping Heroes Fly Act requires Transportation Security 
Administration to maintain an operations center to provide support and 
facilitate the movement of these disabled service members and veterans, 
and it requires TSA to publish protocols so disabled service members 
and veterans, and their families, will be able to contact the 
operations center and request expedited screening. The bill also 
requires that these protocols be integrated into the training of TSA 
agents.
  Mr. Speaker, more than 2.2 million Veterans, one in ten, have been 
disabled or seriously wounded in the service of our nation. And 
disabled veterans typically find it much harder, by some estimates 
twice as hard, to readjust to civilian life. The least we can do for 
these heroes is to make it a little less burdensome and difficult to 
navigate the obstacles, barriers, and checkpoints that have been 
erected in the aftermath of 9/11 to enhance the security of air travel. 
Most of these inconveniences are necessary but no less burdensome to 
those who suffered physical disabilities defending the nation from 
those who would make air travel dangerous and deadly. The legislation 
before us strikes an appropriate balance between these competing 
interests.
  The Helping Heroes Fly Act improves airport security screening 
processes for wounded and severely disabled service members and 
veterans; authorizes a Wounded Warrior Screening Program and requires 
TSA to maintain an Operations Center. These improvements will 
facilitate and expedite air travel for our disabled veterans and 
service members. More importantly, they help that our nation's heroes 
are shown the respect and appreciation of a grateful nation.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 1344, and urge all my colleagues 
to join me in voting for the Helping Heroes Fly Act of 2013.
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 
minutes to a distinguished gentleman who has also served his country 
admirably in the military and is someone who serves on the Homeland 
Security Committee with Congresswoman Gabbard and me, the distinguished 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
  Mr. PERRY. I would like to start out by thanking the gentleladies 
from Indiana and, of course, from Hawaii for this very significant and 
impactful legislation. It is particularly a privilege to speak in favor 
of this knowing that Ms. Gabbard is from Hawaii and, today, currently 
serves as a comrade in arms just like me.
  The TSA started an expedited free screening program in 2011 called 
PreCheck, but just recently expanded the program to include Active Duty 
members of the military and most recently, just this March, to severely 
injured members of the military.
  As a matter of fact, there is a Member of this House who was severely 
injured, and I served right along with her soldiers. I flew with those 
soldiers in Iraq myself. Many of these injured soldiers and 
servicemembers want to continue to serve. They want to--that's their 
calling in life--but they cannot for their own good and for the good of 
the mission, but their hearts are in the right place. So while it's 
great that the TSA has recognized severely injured members of the 
military in that regard, what about these veterans who want to serve 
but cannot continue to serve? This bill rightfully extends similar 
benefits to severely injured or disabled veterans and members of the 
Armed Forces.
  Increased and more stringent security is understandable in the wake 
of
9/11, and it's kind of a bitter irony that many of these members who 
have been severely injured joined just because of those events. Now how 
ironic is it that they are caught up in this web of security for the 
injuries they received because they answered the call of their country?
  Servicemembers I know don't ask for special recognition or any 
recognition for being soldiers or servicemembers and certainly not for 
the injuries they have received as a result of their service. So I 
stand in very strong support of this legislation, and I urge all of my 
colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill.
  Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Swalwell).
  Mr. SWALWELL of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 1344, 
the Helping Heroes Fly Act.
  I am a proud sponsor of this bipartisan legislation introduced by my 
friend Congresswoman Gabbard. Congresswoman Gabbard is a person who 
knows a thing or two about what it's like to be a combat veteran who 
comes back from the battlefield and who has to use our airports. 
Fortunately, she is back in one piece, but we know all too well that 
many of our veterans are not, and this bill eases their ability to move 
through our airports.
  It would extend benefits through TSA screenings at airports, benefits 
similar to the expedited PreCheck program, to severely injured or 
disabled veterans and to members of the armed services who fly. As it 
stands now, many of our Nation's wounded warriors report that screening 
protocols aren't properly standardized at airports around the Nation. 
Consistent treatment by screeners would help create certainty for the 
newly injured and give greater attention to addressing their privacy 
concerns. Despite TSA guidance to the contrary, some veterans report 
having been required to take off prosthetics in public view during 
screenings. This is a difficult process that our injured and veterans 
should not have to endure.

                              {time}  1340

  In January, I met with Staff Sergeant Jason Ross from Livermore, 
California, in my district. Sergeant Ross was severely injured by an 
IED while honorably serving in Afghanistan and lost both of his legs. 
This bill would help ease the transition back home for wounded warriors 
and heroes like Sergeant Ross.
  The continued sacrifice and selfless service of our Nation's heroes, 
a group Sergeant Ross exemplifies with distinction, is immeasurable. 
That's why we as a Nation must live up to our responsibilities to 
properly support the men and women of our Armed Forces when they return 
home. We must leave no soldier behind, and we owe our troops more than 
just ``thank you for your service.''
  Today, it is too easy to spend money, and we've spent over a billion 
dollars a year recruiting people into our armed services while we're 
not doing enough to take care of them and keep the promises we make, 
whether it's providing GI funding or making sure that disability claims 
are taken care of. Currently, the average wait time for a disability 
claim ranges between 316 and 327 days. This is far too long.
  The Oakland VA, which serves the veterans of my district, has one of 
the worst backlogs in the Nation. At a time when our wounded warriors 
are left waiting so long to receive the care that they have rightly 
earned, helping to ensure our Nation's heroes are able to travel 
seamlessly and without hindrance when they return home is a step we 
must take.
  I want to thank again my colleague, Congresswoman Gabbard from 
Hawaii, for sponsoring this bill. I'll always support legislation that 
helps our returning servicemembers and their families receive the care 
and thanks they were promised and have earned.
  I urge my colleagues to vote for the Helping Heroes Fly Act.
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. If 
the gentlewoman from Hawaii has no further speakers, I'm prepared to 
close once the gentlewoman does.
  Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  It's been an honor to stand here on the floor today in a bipartisan 
manner with my colleagues.
  I want to thank the gentlewoman from Indiana for managing this and 
her strong support and advocacy for this issue, which is symbolic of us 
taking action to honor our heroes, especially as we head into Memorial 
Day.

[[Page 7287]]

  You've heard from many Members why this is a good bill and why it 
should pass. It's been subject to scrutiny by all the stakeholders, and 
it has resulted in a bill that will be efficient and effective.
  One example of steps we have taken to make sure that this is an 
efficient bill is making sure that, as we provide training as a central 
requirement to make sure that consistency in all airports exists, the 
provision requiring employee training was modified to make it clear 
that only screening personnel who participate in these expedited 
services will be mandatory--required to be trained under this bill--as 
opposed to requiring every single employee of the TSA to be trained, 
even when their job has nothing to do with passenger screening 
responsibilities. This modification ensures that the department's 
limited resources are spent in the most efficient manner, while also 
ensuring the consistent policies and treatment that are our objectives 
of this legislation.
  I'd like to take a moment to highlight the support that this bill has 
gotten from veteran organizations. In addition to the Disabled American 
Veterans, I also have letters of support from the Wounded Warrior 
Project, the American Legion, and the Paralyzed Veterans of America. 
The Wounded Warrior Project sums it up perfectly, as they say:

       Wounded warriors should not have to sacrifice their 
     privacy, encounter conflicting screening policies and 
     procedures, or be subject to significant travel delays. We 
     welcome the steps proposed in H.R. 1344 to foster expedited 
     screening and to protect the privacy of our wounded warriors 
     going through this process. We also commend the proposal to 
     require the TSA to continue to consult with veterans' service 
     organizations as they develop these improved screening 
     processes.

  Mr. Speaker, before yielding back, I just want to take a moment to 
thank the chairman of the committee, Mr. McCaul, and the ranking 
member, Bennie Thompson, whose strong support for this bill allowed it 
to move very quickly and to be considered here on the floor here today. 
Subcommittee Chairman Mr. Hudson and Ranking Member Richmond, as well 
as Sheila Jackson Lee, along with my colleague, Mrs. Brooks from 
Indiana, have also been incredible champions and supporters. Last but 
not least, I would like to take a moment to recognize senior 
professional staff Brian Turbyfill, who has been invaluable in 
providing his assistance in guiding this bill through the process.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a commonsense measure that aligns with the 
intelligence-driven, risked-based approach to security that TSA is 
striving for. It addresses a clearly identified problem and provides a 
solution that will serve and honor the sacrifices of our Nation's 
selfless heroes and great servant leaders.
  I ask my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.

                                      Wounded Warrior Project,

                                    Washington, DC, April 8, 2013.
     Hon. Tulsi Gabbard,
     Cannon House Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congresswoman Gabbard: As an organization whose 
     mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors, Wounded 
     Warrior Project (WWP) is committed to assisting service 
     members and veterans thrive within the community. For wounded 
     veterans living with prosthetics or other service-connected 
     conditions, airport screening is often a frustrating, 
     degrading, and lengthy process. With that concern, we welcome 
     the introduction of the Helping Heroes Fly Act, H.R. 1344, 
     and the improvements it proposes to screen these men and 
     women in a manner befitting their service.
       Wounded warriors should not have to sacrifice their 
     privacy, encounter conflicting screening policies and 
     procedures, or be subject to significant travel delays. We 
     welcome the steps proposed in H.R. 1344 to foster expedited 
     screening and to protect the privacy of warriors going 
     through the screening process. We also commend the proposal 
     to require the Transportation Security Administration to 
     consult with veterans' service organizations in the 
     development of improved screening.
       We look forward to working with you to advance this 
     legislation and toward improving the airport screening 
     process for those who have served.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Charlie Abell,
     EVP for Government Affairs.
                                  ____



                                          The American Legion,

                                   Washington, DC, April 24, 2013.
     Hon. Michael T. McCaul,
     Chairman, Homeland Security Committee, Ford House Office 
         Building, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Bennie G. Thompson,
     Ranking Member, Homeland Security Committee, House of 
         Representatives, Ford House Office Building, Washington, 
         DC.
       Dear Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Thompson: On behalf 
     of the 2.4 million members of The American Legion I express 
     our support for H.R. 1344, the Helping Heroes Fly Act. This 
     bill will ensure our nation's wounded warriors and veterans 
     are consistently screened in a manner befitting their service 
     and sacrifice. This bill is supported by The American 
     Legion's National Resolution No. 14 which encourages airport 
     courtesy to military personnel.
       Although the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) 
     has announced it will offer expedited screening to severely 
     injured servicemembers, there are still issues that need to 
     be addressed which will be resolved with this legislation. 
     The legislation makes the following improvements:
       Requires TSA to provide privacy for the individual being 
     screened;
       Requires TSA to consult with advocacy groups;
       Mandates TSA training on expedited screening protocols;
       Requires TSA to maintain an operations center that wounded 
     warriors and veterans can contact for assistance in advance 
     of flying; and
       Requires TSA to report to Congress on its progress 
     implementing the screening process.
       Thank you for your support of our nation's servicemembers, 
     veterans, and their families.
           Respectfully,
                                           James E. ``Jim'' Koutz,
     National Commander.
                                  ____



                                Paralyzed Veterans of America,

                                   Washington, DC, April 18, 2013.
     Hon. Michael T. McCaul,
     Chairman, House Committee on Homeland Security, Ford House 
         Office Building, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Bennie G. Thompson,
     Ranking Member, House Committee on Homeland Security, Ford 
         House Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Thompson: On behalf 
     of Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), I write to support 
     H.R. 1344, the bipartisan ``Helping Heroes Fly Act'', which 
     was introduced by Representatives Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), David 
     P. Joyce (R-OH), and Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA) and referred 
     to the Subcommittee on Transportation Security on April 1, 
     2013.
       H.R. 1344 authorizes the Transportation Security 
     Administration's (TSA) Wounded Warrior Screening Program, 
     which facilitates and expedites the screening of severely 
     injured or disabled members of the Armed Forces and veterans 
     at our nation's airports. TSA recently announced efforts to 
     ease the security screening process for people with 
     disabilities, but the program may still have inconsistencies 
     in how its protocols are implemented and leaves privacy 
     concerns and stakeholder input lacking. The ``Helping Heroes 
     Fly Act'' addresses these shortcomings by, among other 
     things, requiring consultation between TSA and advocacy 
     groups like PVA, which will allow us to share our veterans' 
     screening experiences and guarantee that their concerns are 
     heard. Further, the bill mandates that TSA make every effort 
     to protect the privacy of wounded warriors and ensure that 
     our nation's heroes are shown their due respect and 
     appreciation.
       While some paralyzed veterans may not need the assistance 
     provided by the program, we have had reports from our members 
     that greatly appreciate the service offered. One member 
     recently reported that a TSA officer unexpectedly met him at 
     the gate on arrival in Milwaukee, managed his luggage and 
     even helped him jump the battery in his car--greatly reducing 
     the time and anxiety he would have otherwise encountered.
       Every one of our veterans appreciates TSA's and the 
     Committee on Homeland Security's attention to this matter. We 
     encourage your support of this legislation and urge you to 
     see that it receives consideration in the House of 
     Representatives.
           Sincerely,

                                                  Bill Lawson,

                                               National President,
     Paralyzed Veterans of America.
                                  ____



                                   Disabled American Veterans,

                                    Washington, DC, April 9, 2013.
     Hon. Michael T. McCaul,
     Chairman, House Committee on Homeland Security, Ford House 
         Office Building, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Bennie G. Thompson,
     Ranking Member, House Committee on Homeland Security, Ford 
         House Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Thompson: I am 
     writing on behalf of the DAV, a congressionally chartered 
     national veterans service organization with 1.2 million 
     members, all of whom were wounded

[[Page 7288]]

     or injured as a result of active duty in the United States 
     Armed Forces. The DAV is dedicated to a single purpose: 
     empowering veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect 
     and dignity. We accomplish this by ensuring that veterans and 
     their families can access the full range of benefits 
     available to them; fighting for the interests of America's 
     injured heroes on Capitol Hill; and educating the public 
     about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans 
     transitioning back to civilian life.
       H.R. 1344, the Helping Heroes Fly Act, would direct the 
     Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, Transportation 
     Security Administration (TSA), to provide expedited air 
     passenger screening to severely injured or disabled members 
     of the Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled 
     veterans.
       With many of the members of DAV suffering from the loss of 
     limbs due to their wartime service in defense of our nation, 
     we are finding it increasingly difficult to understand the 
     screening policies of the TSA affecting those with prosthetic 
     limbs, wheelchairs and scooters boarding aircraft.
       While TSA offers a variety of outstanding services, such as 
     Notification Cards, TSA Cares, pat-down screening, multiple 
     types of imaging and metal detection screening, and the 
     compassionate TSA Military Severely Injured Program, amputees 
     are not exempt from additional screening when necessary. In 
     fact, screenings experienced by our members lack uniformity, 
     understanding and compassion.
       At some airports, our amputee members receive relaxed 
     screening, while at others these screenings are horrific. 
     Perhaps it is TSA's purpose to make screenings unpredictable. 
     Some screenings have required these amputees to expose their 
     prostheses when they lack the ability to reposition their 
     clothing, and TSA agents are not allowed to help them, nor do 
     they allow spouses or traveling companions to enter search 
     areas to assist the amputees.
       We applaud Representatives Gabbard, Richmond, and Joyce for 
     introducing this legislation and for their continued support 
     of America's wounded and injured veterans. While the DAV does 
     not have a specific resolution from our members on this 
     subject, it would be beneficial to many of our members. 
     Accordingly, we support the passage of this legislation. I 
     look forward to working with you and your staff to continue 
     the DAV mission of empowering veterans to lead high-quality 
     lives.
           Sincerely,

                                           Barry A. Jesinoski,

                                               Executive Director,
                                          Washington Headquarters.

  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  On behalf of myself, as well as Congressman McCaul, the chair of the 
Homeland Security Committee, we would like to commend Congresswoman 
Gabbard of Hawaii not only for her service in moving this issue, but 
for her military service. I'm very proud to be serving with her, and we 
are so pleased that this is being done in such a bipartisan manner. The 
Congresswoman from Hawaii and I have enjoyed a new strong friendship, 
and I hope there are many more bills to come that we can work on 
together.
  I must say that we know that there are so many brave men and women 
throughout this country who have been severely injured while fighting. 
In fact, according to the Employment and Disability Institute at 
Cornell University, there are 6,800 working-age civilian veterans in 
Indiana, alone, who have had the most severe service-connected 
disability rating.
  And this past weekend when I was out at the Indianapolis Motor 
Speedway in honor of Armed Forces Day on Sunday and as we swore in the 
young men and women who have agreed to step up and serve in the 
National Guard and they were reporting to basic training that day, I 
knew that this bill was on the House floor this week. It was quite 
emotional to see these young men and women who we know between them and 
their families are providing the most incredible sacrifice. I am just 
very pleased that we are working on this bill in this manner.
  To sit by while one of these heroes--and to me, all of these young 
18-year-olds to 22-year-olds that I saw in front of me are heroes. We 
pray that they will not be injured. But those who are injured and who 
provide that incredible sacrifice cannot be treated like potential 
enemies here at home, and particularly at our airports. It should put 
us all to shame. Our wounded warriors are a special group of citizens 
in this country. They are a trusted group of citizens, and we can and 
must do more to treat them as such and to recognize their commitment to 
our Nation. With the Memorial Day holiday fast approaching, this bill 
is a timely tribute to their sacrifice.
  I must also say that this weekend at the Indianapolis 500, before the 
race, it is the most moving ceremony when our armed services march down 
Pit Lane, and the quarter of a million people that will be there say it 
is probably the most moving ceremony they have ever witnessed. So we 
look not only for safety this weekend at our race, but it is a 
wonderful reminder of the incredible sacrifice all of the men and women 
in the military give day in and day out.
  I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 1344, as amended, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi: Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of 
H.R. 1344, the ``Helping Heroes Fly Act.''
  Mr. Speaker, at the outset, I would like to commend the gentlewoman 
from Hawaii, Representative Gabbard, for introducing this thoughtful, 
bipartisan legislation.
  I also commend the Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, 
the gentleman from Texas, Mr. McCaul, for working diligently to have 
this bill receive timely consideration by the House.
  We owe a great debt to the women and men who have served to defend 
our freedom.
  Those who were injured or rendered disabled because of their service, 
in particular, deserve our deepest gratitude and respect.
  They deserve to be treated with the upmost respect and dignity upon 
their return home.
  Unfortunately, when it comes to flying domestically, all too often, 
the security screening experience for injured and disabled veterans is 
anything but respectful and dignified.
  H.R. 1344, the ``Helping Heroes Fly Act,'' seeks to improve the 
screening experience for these brave men and women by requiring the 
Transportation Security Administration to develop and implement a 
process to facilitate the ease of travel and provide expedited 
screening to these members of the Armed Forces and veterans.
  It specifically requires consultation with organizations like the 
Wounded Warrior Project, American Legion, and Paralyzed Veterans of 
America that advocate on behalf of service members and veterans.
  Importantly, to help ensure consistency across the aviation security 
system, it also requires training for screeners on the protocols for 
screening injured and disabled service members and veterans.
  Passage of this legislation is the right thing to do to for those who 
sacrificed and were injured while serving our nation.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1344, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________